Content Area: Math

 

Index: 4.1C Grade 5 CPI 1

 

Standard: 4.1 - Number and Numerical Operations

 

Strand: C - Estimation

 

Cumulative Progress Indicator: 1 -  The student will use a variety of estimation strategies for both number and computation.

 

Grade: 5

 

Sample Activities:

 

·        Students imagine collecting a million of something. They discuss what objects would be reasonable to collect (such as toothpicks, punched holes from fan-folded computer paper or pages in telephone books to be recycled), how much space this collection would take up, and how much it would weigh.

 

·        Students make estimates to answer the question: How much drinking water do you think Columbus' ships carried with them on their trip across the ocean? Then they gather the data they need to make more informed estimates.

 

·        Students determine the number of decimal places in a simple decimal multiplication product, not by mechanically adding the number of places in the factors, but by estimating a reasonable range for the product and placing the decimal point so that their computed product falls within that range.

 

·        Students investigate the question: What size room would be needed to hold one million ping-pong balls?

 

·        Students read Counting on Frank and estimate how many dogs would fill their classroom.

 

·        Students use estimates to compare fractions. For example, 3/7 < 9/16 since 3/7 is less than half and 9/16 is more than half.